On December 8th, the New Orleans Pelicans were the best team in the West. They were 17-8 through their first 25 games; Zion Williamson was a dark-horse MVP candidate for the Pelicans, averaging 26.0 points, 7.0 rebounds and 4.6 assists per game. But now, with a heartbreaking 123-118 loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder in the first round of the play-in tournament, the Pelicans find themselves in a similar spot: outside of the playoffs, hoping that Zion Williamson can somehow avoid an injury long enough next year to save them. Even more concerning than the fact that the Pelicans couldn't make the ludicrously capacious 2023 NBA Playoffs field, though, is the evaporation of the good vibes and optimism surrounding the franchise. If CJ McCollum's postgame press conference is any indication, it's clear that Williamson's prolonged, mysterious injuries have taken a toll on team morale.
“We need our best players on the court,” CJ McCollum said after the Pelicans' loss. “We need to be able to play extensive minutes together, especially in meaningful games, in big games, and really showcase what we have to offer. For us to make a real playoff run, that's what it's going to take.”
Oof.
After missing all of last season with a Jones fracture in his foot, Williamson played just 29 games this season before a hamstring strain sidelined him on January 2nd. While the Pelicans initially forecasted that Williamson would be out for “at least three weeks,” he never returned to the court this season, adding to his growing history of much longer-than-expected recovery and rehab from seemingly minor injuries. Despite getting cleared by team doctors to practice in early March, Williamson never seemed close to actually returning; the Pelicans didn't anticipate having him at any point in the first round of the playoffs, not that it matters now.
“Physically I’m fine. Now it’s just a matter of … when I feel like Zion,” he said on Tuesday before the start of the play-in tournament. “I can pretty much do everything. It’s just a matter of the level I was playing at before my hamstring. I’m just a competitor. I don’t want to go out there and be in my own head and affect the team. I know myself. If I was to go out there I would be in my head a lot. I would hesitate on certain moves.”
The most frustrating thing is that Zion Williamson is a genuinely unstoppable player on the rare occasions that he's not nursing an injury. In total, Williamson has played in just 114 of the Pelicans' 308 games since he was drafted in 2019. In this sense, the Pelicans are essentially captive to his talents—he's too good to move on from, but too untrustworthy to rely on.
Follow Us
Subscribe